CrimeNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94CrimeTue, 30 Jan 2018 04:19:46 +0000Crimehttp://wesa.fm
Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Monday the federal government will use Pittsburgh-area expertise to step up its fight against opioid-related crimes online.Sessions In Pittsburgh: New Team Will Target Illegal Online Opioid Saleshttp://wesa.fm/post/sessions-pittsburgh-new-team-will-target-illegal-online-opioid-sales
101745 as http://wesa.fmMon, 29 Jan 2018 23:18:50 +0000Sessions In Pittsburgh: New Team Will Target Illegal Online Opioid SalesAssociated PressState police say at least five people were killed in a shooting at a Pennsylvania car wash. WPXI-TV reports the shooting occurred around 2:45 a.m. Sunday in Melcroft. Melcroft is about 55 miles (89 kilometers) southeast of Pittsburgh The victims were identified only as three men and two women. At least one other person was wounded and was taken to a hospital, but further details on that person's condition were not immediately released. Authorities were trying to determine if the shooter was among those found at the scene. A motive for the shooting remains under investigation.State Police: 5 Killed In Shooting At Pennsylvania Car Washhttp://wesa.fm/post/state-police-5-killed-shooting-pennsylvania-car-wash
101653 as http://wesa.fmSun, 28 Jan 2018 17:06:21 +0000State Police: 5 Killed In Shooting At Pennsylvania Car WashAn-Li HerringStarting this year, neighborhoods throughout Pittsburgh are expected to get more surveillance cameras and gunshot detection devices, also known as ShotSpotter. The city’s 2018 budget includes funding for a 30 percent expansion of an existing camera network over the next three years, and there are plans to deploy ShotSpotter over an additional 14.5 square miles. Currently, the devices, which alert the police at the sound of gunfire, cover 3 square miles in the East End. Given how the system has performed there, Mayor Bill Peduto views it as a key part of Pittsburgh’s public safety strategy. “We’ve had the opportunity these past few years to really kick the tires on it,” Peduto said. “It works within a larger surveillance program that allows us to have plate detection cameras, regular cameras, ShotSpotter.” In addition to helping officers reach crime scenes more quickly than when they rely on calls to 911, ShotSpotter could make it easier to solve crimes, according to public safetyPittsburgh Readies To Expand Camera, Gunshot Surveillance City-Widehttp://wesa.fm/post/pittsburgh-readies-expand-camera-gunshot-surveillance-city-wide
99192 as http://wesa.fmTue, 02 Jan 2018 12:28:11 +0000Pittsburgh Readies To Expand Camera, Gunshot Surveillance City-WideAn-Li HerringElevated levels of violent crime in the region prompted Pittsburgh’s FBI field office to launch a Violent Crimes Task Force this week. Federal data show that Pittsburgh and surrounding counties are experiencing higher levels of violent crime, on average, than the rest of the state and country.FBI Creates Pittsburgh Task Force To Combat High Levels Of Violent Crime Due To Opioid Epidemic http://wesa.fm/post/fbi-creates-pittsburgh-task-force-combat-high-levels-violent-crime-due-opioid-epidemic
98934 as http://wesa.fmWed, 20 Dec 2017 00:05:58 +0000FBI Creates Pittsburgh Task Force To Combat High Levels Of Violent Crime Due To Opioid Epidemic An-Li HerringA federal grand jury in Pittsburgh indicted three Chinese individuals Monday for stealing internal communications, passwords, trade secrets and other data from Moody’s Analytics, Siemens AG and GPS technology manufacturer Trimble, Inc.Pittsburgh Grand Jury Indicts Chinese Actors For Cyber Theft Against Siemens, Trimble & Moody'shttp://wesa.fm/post/pittsburgh-grand-jury-indicts-chinese-actors-cyber-theft-against-siemens-trimble-moodys
97240 as http://wesa.fmMon, 27 Nov 2017 23:26:18 +0000Courtney HarrellAllegheny County has adopted a new comprehensive policy regarding the treatment of pregnant inmates—a result of a suit filed against the county alleging cruel and unusual punishment of five women who were placed in solitary confinement for minor infractions.Questions About Humane Treatment Of Inmates Persist In Allegheny County Jailshttp://wesa.fm/post/questions-about-humane-treatment-inmates-persist-allegheny-county-jails
96524 as http://wesa.fmFri, 17 Nov 2017 16:08:25 +0000Questions About Humane Treatment Of Inmates Persist In Allegheny County JailsMegan HarrisMost companies hire based on a set of traditional criteria. For police, it's often prior military or law enforcement experience, physical fitness and maybe some higher education. One department in Minnesota decided to prioritize recruiting a different kind of officer.How Character-Driven Hiring Practices Can Help Eliminate 'Bad Apple' Cops Before They Join The Forcehttp://wesa.fm/post/how-character-driven-hiring-practices-can-help-eliminate-bad-apple-cops-they-join-force
96289 as http://wesa.fmTue, 14 Nov 2017 23:45:46 +0000How Character-Driven Hiring Practices Can Help Eliminate 'Bad Apple' Cops Before They Join The ForceMegan HarrisCriminal prosecutors can protect the public and build up their communities, but they can also make the system more punitive and send many more people to prison and jail. Yet for all of their importance, many prosecutors, once elected, serve for multiple terms and often run unopposed. On this week’s episode of 90.5 WESA’s Criminal Injustice podcast , University of Pittsburgh law professor and host David Harris talks to former prosecutor and public defender Whitney Tymas, who now helps lead the Safety and Justice political action committee . Since 2015, the PAC has helped swing most of the 16 liberal candidates it's backed in local elections nationwide. Their conversation has been edited for length and clarity. WHITNEY TYMAS: I think that what I took away from an early point in my career was that prosecutors just had a lot of power. They can either use it for good or not. DAVID HARRIS: Why do so many prosecutors hold office for so long with so little opposition? TYMAS: Most prosecutorsWhat Inspired A Career Attorney To Wade Into Local Elections?http://wesa.fm/post/what-inspired-career-attorney-wade-local-elections
95864 as http://wesa.fmThu, 09 Nov 2017 11:30:00 +0000What Inspired A Career Attorney To Wade Into Local Elections?An-Li Herring*UPDATED Nov. 3, 2017 at 12:32 p.m. Pittsburgh's only contested city council race this year pits Democrat Anthony Coghill against Republican Cletus Cibrone-Abate for the District 4 seat.Candidates Vie For Only Contested City Council Seat In District Hit Hard By Opioidshttp://wesa.fm/post/candidates-vie-only-contested-city-council-seat-district-hit-hard-opioids
95396 as http://wesa.fmFri, 03 Nov 2017 10:04:00 +0000Candidates Vie For Only Contested City Council Seat In District Hit Hard By OpioidsMegan HarrisFor decades in the 20th Century, the U.S. treated children differently than adults in the criminal court system -- experts at the time believed kids were inherently more capable of rehabilitation.Why Did PA Sentence Children To Die, And What's Happened To Them Since SCOTUS Stepped In?http://wesa.fm/post/why-did-pa-sentence-children-die-and-whats-happened-them-scotus-stepped
95149 as http://wesa.fmTue, 31 Oct 2017 12:48:26 +0000Why Did PA Sentence Children To Die, And What's Happened To Them Since SCOTUS Stepped In?Megan HarrisPolice have endured harsh public scrutiny over use of force cases, but prosecutors have also taken heat for choosing not to pursue cases when civilians are shot by police. On this week’s episode of 90.5 WESA’s Criminal Injustice podcast , University of Pittsburgh law professor and host David Harris talks to David LaBahn, president and CEO of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, a national association representing elected and appointed prosecutors. Their conversation has been edited for length and clarity. DAVID HARRIS: What is the role of the prosecutor in the current criminal justice system? DAVID LABAHN: The role of the prosecutor is to be the minister of justice; to do the right thing to the right person for the right reason; to make certain that this is the right individual for the crime; and in addition to that, make certain that this is a situation where the criminal justice system needs to bring that individual in, that that filing in that case will have a public safetyAdvocate Says Prosecutors Who Win All The Time Aren't Looking For Justicehttp://wesa.fm/post/advocate-says-prosecutors-who-win-all-time-arent-looking-justice
94539 as http://wesa.fmTue, 24 Oct 2017 21:18:12 +0000Advocate Says Prosecutors Who Win All The Time Aren't Looking For JusticePolice say an elementary school teacher was hit in the face with a brick and dragged from her car in Pittsburgh after a dispute with the parents of one of her students. They say the attack happened around 3:15 p.m. Wednesday as 46-year-old Janice Watkins was leaving Pittsburgh King PreK-8 on the North Side. Authorities say she was being followed by a couple in a SUV, and when she stopped at an intersection near the West End Bridge, the woman threw a brick at her. Police say the couple then pulled Watkins out of her car and continued to assault her. Watkins was hospitalized with facial injuries and a lost tooth. Police say they were preparing arrest warrants for the couple late Wednesday. According to a statement from the Pittsburgh Public Schools, the district is cooperating with the City of Pittsburgh Police Department’s investigation. “Violence of any kind against a PPS staff member or citizen is unacceptable, and the individuals responsible must be held accountable for suchPittsburgh Police Investigating Attack On Elementary Teacherhttp://wesa.fm/post/pittsburgh-police-investigating-attack-elementary-teacher
94354 as http://wesa.fmThu, 19 Oct 2017 16:32:55 +0000Pittsburgh Police Investigating Attack On Elementary TeacherMegan HarrisGun violence kills thousands of Americans every year. It carries massive consequences in lives lost, injuries and medical treatment, but what about the economic cost – in jobs, businesses and community development? How can we measure the opportunity cost of gun violence? On this week’s episode of 90.5 WESA’s Criminal Injustice podcast , University of Pittsburgh law professor and host David Harris talks to the Urban Institute senior researcher Yasemin Irvin-Erickson, who's trying to put a figure on the high cost of shootings . Their conversation has been edited for length and clarity. DAVID HARRIS: We know that there are enormous costs to gun violence for the people who end up as victims. What are the best estimates of the costs for deaths, injuries and medical treatment for those who survive? YASEMIN IRVIN-ERICKSON: The annual cost of gun violence to the United States is at least $229 billion. The cost to victims’ quality of life and lost wages account for almost 97 percent of theseGun Violence Isn't Just Deadly To The Victims, It's Hurting Our Economy, Toohttp://wesa.fm/post/gun-violence-isnt-just-deadly-victims-its-hurting-our-economy-too
94217 as http://wesa.fmTue, 17 Oct 2017 19:33:00 +0000Gun Violence Isn't Just Deadly To The Victims, It's Hurting Our Economy, TooMegan HarrisIt’s been less than a week since U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Upper St. Clair) announced he’s resigning from Congress , and the field for a special election to fill his seat is already highly contested. Murphy was forced to resign amid revelations of an extramarital affair in which the anti-abortion lawmaker allegedly urged his mistress to get an abortion . The scandal creates an unexpected opportunity for local politicians. Murphy had a firm grip on Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District, which he has represented for nearly 15 years. He ran unopposed in 2014 and 2016. Catch up on the already crowded field with political reporters Chris Potter of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Wes Venteicher of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review . Later in the show: The Trump administration declared " the war on coal is over " this week, rescinding the Clean Power Plan without a replacement. Current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Scott Pruitt said the Obama-era rule exceeded federal law byMurphy's Resignation Leaves Unexpected Opportunity For Local Politicians http://wesa.fm/post/murphys-resignation-leaves-unexpected-opportunity-local-politicians
93905 as http://wesa.fmFri, 13 Oct 2017 17:06:13 +0000Murphy's Resignation Leaves Unexpected Opportunity For Local Politicians Megan HarrisOver the last 50 years, more than 8,000 people have been sentenced to die under the death penalty, and 1,500 of them were ultimately executed. But today, the death penalty has fallen out of favor. On this week's episode of the Criminal Injustice podcast, host and University of Pittsburgh law professor David Harris talks to Brandon Garrett , University of Virginia law professor and author of " End of Its Rope: How Killing the Death Penalty Can Revive Criminal Justice ." Their conversation has been edited for length and clarity. DAVID HARRIS: What was not working about the death penalty in its heyday? BRANDON GARRETT: Death sentences came easy, they came fast. Death sentences occurred in trials that were only a day or two long where we never really even heard what the mental health evidence was, what the defendant was like. And as a result, we had a lot of wrongful convictions that came to light. Over 100 people have been exonerated from death row, and we had you know about two-thirds ofThe Number Of Death Penalty Sentences Are Way Down, But The Data Are Hard To Findhttp://wesa.fm/post/number-death-penalty-sentences-are-way-down-data-are-hard-find
93772 as http://wesa.fmTue, 10 Oct 2017 11:37:55 +0000The Number Of Death Penalty Sentences Are Way Down, But The Data Are Hard To FindAn-Li HerringA jury did not reach a verdict in Leon Ford’s federal case against two Pittsburgh police officers Wednesday and will return for more deliberations Thursday. Ford is suing officers David Derbish and Andrew Miller in federal civil court for a 2012 shooting that left him paralyzed . Derbish faces an allegation of excessive force, and Miller is accused of assault and battery. Whether the officers are held liable will turn on if jurors think their fear was reasonable. Ford must prove that the officers acted unreasonably. According to University of Pittsburgh criminal law professor David Harris, jurors in Pittsburgh’s federal court jurisdiction tend to have a positive view of law enforcement. “In any case like this, no matter what the facts are, the plaintiff – the person suing the police – is going to have an uphill climb,” Harris added. “It’s for that reason that a lot of cases like this aren’t even brought in the first place – they’re hard to win.” Ford’s case started with a traffic stopJurors Continue To Deliberate In Leon Ford Civil Rights Casehttp://wesa.fm/post/jurors-continue-deliberate-leon-ford-civil-rights-case
93565 as http://wesa.fmWed, 04 Oct 2017 22:25:10 +0000Jurors Continue To Deliberate In Leon Ford Civil Rights CaseAn-Li HerringA jury began deliberations in Leon Ford’s federal civil trial against two Pittsburgh police officers following closing arguments Tuesday. The jury could deliver its verdict any day.Jury Begins Deliberations In Leon Ford Trialhttp://wesa.fm/post/jury-begins-deliberations-leon-ford-trial
93492 as http://wesa.fmTue, 03 Oct 2017 22:54:15 +0000Jury Begins Deliberations In Leon Ford TrialMegan HarrisPolice killings of unarmed black men, stop-and-frisk policies and racially disproportionate prison populations have all been called symptoms of a broken criminal justice system.If Cops ‘Treated White Folks This Way, There'd Be A Revolution’: An Intentionally Broken System http://wesa.fm/post/if-cops-treated-white-folks-way-thered-be-revolution-intentionally-broken-system
93060 as http://wesa.fmTue, 26 Sep 2017 11:50:04 +0000If Cops ‘Treated White Folks This Way, There'd Be A Revolution’: An Intentionally Broken System Megan HarrisFear, fatigue, mood and experience all affect how people interact with others. That's especially true when those actions have life or death consequences.Meet The Man Helping Pittsburgh Police Confront Their Racial Biaseshttp://wesa.fm/post/meet-man-helping-pittsburgh-police-confront-their-racial-biases
92701 as http://wesa.fmThu, 21 Sep 2017 11:25:06 +0000Meet The Man Helping Pittsburgh Police Confront Their Racial BiasesVirginia Alvino Young Thirteen new surveillance cameras are now up and running through Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood.Business Owners Hope New South Side Surveillance Cameras Will Prevent Nuisance Crimehttp://wesa.fm/post/business-owners-hope-new-south-side-surveillance-cameras-will-prevent-nuisance-crime
92537 as http://wesa.fmThu, 14 Sep 2017 21:21:30 +0000Business Owners Hope New South Side Surveillance Cameras Will Prevent Nuisance Crime